For most of your markets, the answer is no. A candidate CV should usually not include a photo when you submit to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. In these countries photos are discouraged. In some other countries a photo is expected, including much of continental Europe such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, and parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa.
There are two main reasons to leave a photo off. First, it can create bias and discrimination risk because it shows age, race, gender and appearance. Second, an applicant tracking system reads text, not images, so a photo can break how the CV is parsed.
Your default should be to remove the photo unless the country or the client clearly expects one. This article is general career and hiring guidance, not legal advice. If you have questions about discrimination law in a specific country, check with a qualified adviser.
Key takeaways
- For UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa roles, a candidate CV should usually have no photo.
- A photo can reveal age, race, gender or appearance, which creates bias and discrimination risk in markets with anti-discrimination hiring rules.
- An ATS reads text, not images, so a photo can be ignored, scramble the text or distort the layout.
- Some countries expect a photo, including much of continental Europe and parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa.
- When in doubt, remove the photo or check the country norm and the client's preference first.
Why it matters
As a recruiter, the CV you submit represents both the candidate and your agency. If you send a UK or US client a CV with a photo on it, you can put the candidate at a disadvantage. Some recruiters auto-reject resumes that contain images to avoid potential discrimination issues, so a photo can quietly remove a strong candidate from the running before anyone reads their experience.
The technical side matters too. Many clients screen CVs through an applicant tracking system that only reads text. A photo can be ignored, and in some tests systems scrambled the text or distorted the layout when an image was present. A clean, text-based CV with no photo gives your candidate the best chance of being parsed correctly and read fairly.
The considerations
Country norms decide the default
Photo conventions are geographic, not universal. Photos are discouraged in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They are more common or expected in much of continental Europe and in parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa. Always start from the norm for the country where the role sits.
Bias and discrimination risk
In countries with anti-discrimination hiring rules, such as the US, a photo can reveal age, race, gender or appearance. That creates bias and legal risk. Some recruiters auto-reject resumes that contain images to avoid potential discrimination issues. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
An ATS cannot read an image
An applicant tracking system reads text, section headings and keywords, not pictures. Embedded photos, logos and graphics are usually ignored or misread. In some tests, a photo caused systems to scramble the text or distort the layout. A photo adds no searchable value and can cause harm.
Client preference and blind hiring
Some clients ask for blind hiring, where identifying details are removed so candidates are judged on skills alone. If a client wants anonymised CVs, the photo must go, along with name and other identifying details. Always follow the client's instruction over the general norm.
When a photo is genuinely expected
In some countries a photo is standard and its absence can look odd. If the role is in a market where photos are expected and the client has not asked for blind hiring, a professional headshot can be appropriate. Match the local convention rather than your home-market habit.
What to do when in doubt
If you are not sure, ask the client or leave the photo off. Removing a photo rarely hurts a candidate in a no-photo market and protects them in a discrimination-aware one. A photo-free CV is the safer default across most English-speaking markets.
How to decide, step by step
Step 1: Check the country where the role sits
Look at where the job is, not where the candidate is from. If it is the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, plan to remove the photo. If it is a market where photos are expected, you may keep a professional one.
Step 2: Check the client's instruction
Read the brief. If the client wants blind hiring or anonymised CVs, remove the photo and other identifying details. The client's preference always overrides the general country norm.
Step 3: Default to removing the photo
When the market discourages photos or you are unsure, take the photo off. This avoids bias and discrimination risk and keeps the CV ATS-friendly. You lose nothing searchable by removing an image.
Step 4: Keep the CV ATS-safe and clean
After removing the photo, make sure the layout is single-column and text-based so an ATS can read it. Avoid graphics and logos that can scramble parsing. Export a clean PDF or DOCX that reads as plain text.
Step 5: Anonymise when blind hiring is needed
If the client needs blind hiring, remove the photo, the candidate's name and other identifying details in one step, and swap the candidate's contact details for your agency's. Then send the anonymised CV.
Do this every time
- Remove the photo by default for UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa submissions.
- Check the country norm for the role before deciding on a photo.
- Follow the client's instruction first, especially if they ask for blind or anonymised hiring.
- Keep the CV single-column and text-based so an ATS can read it.
- Remove other personal details that invite bias, such as age, date of birth, marital status and nationality.
- Keep a professional headshot only when the market clearly expects one and the client has not asked for blind hiring.
- Export a clean text-based PDF or DOCX with no embedded images that can break parsing.
- Ask the client when you are unsure, or simply leave the photo off.
Common mistakes to avoid
Leaving a photo on a UK or US submission
Sending a CV with a photo to a UK, US, Canadian or Australian client is a common error. It can trigger an auto-reject and creates bias and discrimination risk. Remove the photo before you submit in these markets.
Assuming all markets are the same
Photo rules are geographic. A CV that works in Germany or France may not suit the UK or US, and the other way round. Treating every market the same way puts candidates at a disadvantage. Match the local convention.
Letting a photo break the ATS
A photo is not searchable and can cause an ATS to ignore the image, scramble the text or distort the layout. Keep the CV text-based so it parses cleanly. An image adds risk and no value to parsing.
Keeping a photo a client asked to remove
If a client requested blind hiring or anonymised CVs, leaving the photo in ignores the brief. Remove the photo, the name and other identifying details before sending. Always follow the client's instruction.
Removing the photo but leaving other bias triggers
Taking off the photo while keeping age, date of birth, marital status or nationality still invites bias. The UK's National Careers Service advises against including these personal details. Clean them out along with the photo.
Forgetting to swap contact details
For agency submissions, leaving the candidate's direct contact details on the CV can lead clients to approach them directly. Swap them for your agency's details when you reformat the CV.
Frequently asked questions
Should you put a photo on a CV?
In most cases for UK, US, Canadian and Australian roles, no. Photos are discouraged in these markets because they create bias and discrimination risk and can break applicant tracking systems that only read text. In some countries, such as parts of continental Europe and Asia, a photo is expected. Default to no photo unless the country or client clearly expects one.
Do UK CVs have photos?
Usually not. The UK's official National Careers Service CV guidance does not list a photo as a CV section and advises leaving out personal details such as age, date of birth, marital status and nationality. A photo would reveal several of these. For UK submissions, the safer choice is a photo-free, text-based CV.
Why no photo on a CV?
Two reasons. First, a photo shows age, race, gender and appearance, which creates bias and discrimination risk in markets with anti-discrimination hiring rules, so some recruiters auto-reject resumes with images. Second, an applicant tracking system reads text, not pictures, so a photo can be ignored or can scramble the layout. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Can a photo hurt a job application?
Yes, in no-photo markets. Some recruiters auto-reject resumes that contain images to avoid potential discrimination issues, so a strong candidate can be cut before anyone reads their experience. A photo can also break an applicant tracking system, causing the text to scramble or the layout to distort. Removing it protects the candidate.
Which countries expect a photo on a CV?
Photos are more common or expected in much of continental Europe, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, and in parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa. They are discouraged in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Always check the norm for the country where the role sits.
What should you do when you are not sure?
Ask the client, or leave the photo off. Removing a photo rarely hurts a candidate in a no-photo market and protects them in a discrimination-aware one. If the client has asked for blind hiring, remove the photo along with the name and other identifying details. When in doubt, a clean, photo-free CV is the safe default.
The bottom line
For most of the markets you recruit in, the answer is simple. Leave the photo off. For the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, a photo brings bias and discrimination risk and can break the applicant tracking system, with no upside. In countries where a photo is expected, and only when the client has not asked for blind hiring, a professional headshot can be appropriate.
Make removing the photo your default. Check the country norm and the client's brief, keep the CV single-column and text-based, and clean out other personal details that invite bias. When you are unsure, ask the client or simply leave it off. A clean, photo-free CV gives your candidate the fairest shot and keeps your agency on the safe side. This is general hiring guidance, not legal advice.
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Related reading: the UK recruitment CV format, how to anonymise a CV for blind recruitment, and how to make a candidate CV ATS-friendly.
Sources
- Jobscan, Should You Include a Picture on Your Resume in 2026? (2026): CV photo conventions are geographic: photos are discouraged in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, while more common or expected in much of continental Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria) and parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa. A photo can reveal age, race, gender or appearance, so some recruiters auto-reject resumes with images, and an ATS reads text not pictures, so a photo can scramble or distort parsing.
- Pennsylvania Western University Career Center, Here's Why You Should Not Include a Picture on Your Resume (2022): A US university careers service advises against a resume photo because recruiters are careful to avoid discrimination and unconscious bias (some will not consider resumes with pictures) and because images are not ATS-friendly, since applicant tracking systems typically only read text.
- National Careers Service (gov.uk), How to write a CV (2026): The UK's official National Careers Service CV guidance does not list a photo among CV sections and advises against including personal details such as age, date of birth, marital status or nationality.